Integrated circuit with constrained metal line arrangement and method of making

Abstract

A method of making an integrated circuit includes retrieving an integrated circuit layout having a first set of metal lines and a second set of metal lines, wherein the first set of metal lines is between the second set of metal lines and a periphery of the integrated circuit layout. At least one of the first set of metal lines is configured to electrically connect to a contact connected to a second layer of the integrated circuit layout after a manufacturing process. The method further includes adjusting a metal line perimeter of at least one metal line in the second set of metal lines, wherein each adjusted metal line perimeter is separated from the contact by at least a check distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making an integrated circuit, comprising:
 retrieving an integrated circuit layout having a first set of metal lines and a second set of metal lines, wherein the first set of metal lines is between the second set of metal lines and a periphery of the integrated circuit layout, wherein at least one of the first set of metal lines is configured to electrically connect to a contact connected to a second layer of the integrated circuit layout after a manufacturing process; and   adjusting a metal line perimeter of at least one metal line in the second set of metal lines, wherein each adjusted metal line perimeter is separated from the contact by at least a check distance.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the metal line perimeter of the at least one metal line in the second set of metal lines comprises maintaining a metal line perimeter for each metal line of the first set of metal lines. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the metal line perimeter comprises:
 analyzing a shape of the at least one metal line using a modeling shape.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the modeling shape is selected from the group consisting of rectilinear shapes, trapezoids, parallelograms, ellipses, circles, and triangles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein analyzing the shape of the at least one metal line comprises identifying a first portion of the at least one metal line having the modeling shape and a second portion of the at least one metal line having the modeling shape. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein adjusting the metal line perimeter comprises:
 adjusting a perimeter of the first portion; and   maintaining a perimeter of the second portion while adjusting the perimeter of the first portion.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein adjusting the metal line perimeter comprises:
 adjusting the perimeter of the second portion; and   maintaining the adjusted perimeter of the first portion while adjusting the perimeter of the second portion.   
     
     
         8 . A method of making an integrated circuit, comprising:
 identifying, in a first layer of an integrated circuit layout, a first metal line, a second metal line and a third metal line, wherein the first metal line is between the second metal line and a periphery of the integrated circuit layout, wherein the first metal line and the second metal line have a same function in the integrated circuit layout after a manufacturing process, and the third metal line is configured to electrically connect to a contact connected on a second layer of the integrated circuit; and   adjusting a metal line perimeter of the second metal line, wherein the adjusted second metal line perimeter is separated from the contact by at least a check distance, and the adjusted second metal line is joined to the first metal line.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein adjusting the metal line perimeter of the second metal line comprises joining the second metal line to the first metal line. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second metal line is configured to electrically connect to a second contact connected to the second layer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein adjusting the metal line perimeter of the second metal line comprises identifying a first portion of the second metal line and a second portion of the second metal line, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion having a same modeling shape. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the metal line perimeter of the second metal line comprise adjusting a perimeter of the first portion while maintaining a perimeter of the second portion. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein adjusting the perimeter of the first portion comprises joining the first portion to the first metal line. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein adjusting the perimeter of the first portion comprises moving the perimeter of the first portion toward the third metal line. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first metal line is free of any contact configured to connect to the second layer. 
     
     
         16 . An integrated circuit, comprising:
 a set of contacts at a first layer of the integrated circuit; and   a set of metal lines at a second layer of the integrated circuit, the second layer being electrically connected to the first layer, wherein
 a first area is surrounded by a second area on at least three sides, wherein 
 the second area extends along a first side of the first area and a second side of the first area opposite the first side, and 
 metal lines of the second area extending along the first side have a repeating pattern of metal lines. 
   
     
     
         17 . The integrated circuit of  claim 16 , wherein metal lines of the second area extending along the second side have a second repeating pattern of metal lines. 
     
     
         18 . The integrated circuit of  claim 16 , wherein the metal lines extending along the first side are electrically connected to at least one contact of the set of contacts. 
     
     
         19 . The integrated circuit of  claim 16 , wherein a plurality of metal lines of the first area are each electrically connected to a corresponding contact of the set of contacts. 
     
     
         20 . The integrated circuit of  claim 16 , wherein the second area surrounds the first area on all sides.